Building out a new educational environment requires a fundamental rethinking of what we do, and it requires that schools ask some questions, some deep questions about their way of doing business.
So, here is my attempt to forumulate a set of questions focusing on the organization, the classroom, and the teacher.
A. The organization:
1. How ready is your climate and culture for the use of a student learning space? What discussions have you had with stakeholders? Who are the stakeholders? Will will the impact of high-stakes testing regimes impact the classroom application of these kind of environment?
2. Based on your climate and culture, have you selected the right tool set? The right delivery system? Are you using a content managment system or will you connect small pieces in a loosely joined approach?
3. In your school district, who makes the decisions on which tools are available to teachers and students? Will this be a technology decision or a curriculum decision? So...
4. How closely integrated are your technology and curriculum departments?
5. How will you structure the classroom application of a networked learning space? What support systems are in place for the successful implementation of such a system? What support systems are in place for sustaining the initiative, growing the initative and enabling it to evolve when learning needs and tools warrant? What systems need to be put into place?
6. How will you help others learn about networking, Web 2.0, and personal learning spaces? What types of professional development experiences have you created to ensure that a mission-critical tool like a student learning space is successful?
7. Do your administrators understand Web 2.0? Do administrators use the tools of Web 2.0? Do your administrators understand how these tools contribute to the formation of learning networks? Do they understand how they could contribute to the development of a student learning space?
8. How will you associate the use of the Web 2.0 environment, networked learning, and a personal learning space with best practice (whatever that means to you) pedagogy?
9. Have you worked with other elements of the school community (Board of Education, Parents) to help them understand the potential impact, and issues, of a personal learning space implementation?
10. How will you evaluate the effectiveness of this learning space and its ability to add value to the learning experience?
B. The Classroom:
1. How permeable do you want your classrooms to be? Is there value in reaching beyond the four walls of your classroom? Will the student's learning space be accessible by others in the local community? What is the scope and sequence of expectations for students as the move through their school career? What types of content get published for everyone to see?
2. Are your teachers philosophically ready for this? Have they been included in the discussion? If not, you're in trouble.
3. What kinds of communities exist in your classrooms? What are you doing to create learning communities of students now?
4. Are your students ready for this? They're content creators now outside of school, will they recognize the value of the same type of behaviors in support of their own learning?
C. The Professional Educator:
1. Are you a life-long learner? How do you demonstrate that? Do you have your own personal learning space? Will you build the skills, live the skills, before you expect your kids too?
2. Are you a member of a learning network? How does that impact what you do in your learning space? How do you contribute to the learning spaces of others?
4. Do you have 15 minutes to devote to your own personal and professional learning and the development of your learning space? Are you willing to live it and breathe it before your kids have to?
Rethinking Schools: Questions to Ask
By David JakesBuilding out a new educational environment requires a fundamental rethinking of what we do, and it requires that schools ask some questions, some deep questions about their way of doing business.
So, here is my attempt to forumulate a set of questions focusing on the organization, the classroom, and the teacher.
A. The organization:
1. How ready is your climate and culture for the use of a student learning space? What discussions have you had with stakeholders? Who are the stakeholders? Will will the impact of high-stakes testing regimes impact the classroom application of these kind of environment?
2. Based on your climate and culture, have you selected the right tool set? The right delivery system? Are you using a content managment system or will you connect small pieces in a loosely joined approach?
3. In your school district, who makes the decisions on which tools are available to teachers and students? Will this be a technology decision or a curriculum decision? So...
4. How closely integrated are your technology and curriculum departments?
5. How will you structure the classroom application of a networked learning space? What support systems are in place for the successful implementation of such a system? What support systems are in place for sustaining the initiative, growing the initative and enabling it to evolve when learning needs and tools warrant? What systems need to be put into place?
6. How will you help others learn about networking, Web 2.0, and personal learning spaces? What types of professional development experiences have you created to ensure that a mission-critical tool like a student learning space is successful?
7. Do your administrators understand Web 2.0? Do administrators use the tools of Web 2.0? Do your administrators understand how these tools contribute to the formation of learning networks? Do they understand how they could contribute to the development of a student learning space?
8. How will you associate the use of the Web 2.0 environment, networked learning, and a personal learning space with best practice (whatever that means to you) pedagogy?
9. Have you worked with other elements of the school community (Board of Education, Parents) to help them understand the potential impact, and issues, of a personal learning space implementation?
10. How will you evaluate the effectiveness of this learning space and its ability to add value to the learning experience?
B. The Classroom:
1. How permeable do you want your classrooms to be? Is there value in reaching beyond the four walls of your classroom? Will the student's learning space be accessible by others in the local community? What is the scope and sequence of expectations for students as the move through their school career? What types of content get published for everyone to see?
2. Are your teachers philosophically ready for this? Have they been included in the discussion? If not, you're in trouble.
3. What kinds of communities exist in your classrooms? What are you doing to create learning communities of students now?
4. Are your students ready for this? They're content creators now outside of school, will they recognize the value of the same type of behaviors in support of their own learning?
C. The Professional Educator:
1. Are you a life-long learner? How do you demonstrate that? Do you have your own personal learning space? Will you build the skills, live the skills, before you expect your kids too?
2. Are you a member of a learning network? How does that impact what you do in your learning space? How do you contribute to the learning spaces of others?
4. Do you have 15 minutes to devote to your own personal and professional learning and the development of your learning space? Are you willing to live it and breathe it before your kids have to?
What would you add?
By David Jakes